--- title: New York Taxicabs: A Brief History description: As NYC unveils the taxicab of the future TIME looks back at the history of the yellow cab. canonical: https://time.com/4018590/brief-history-nyc-cabs/ author: TIME Photo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-02T17:29:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:50.042Z article:section: History og:title: A Brief History of New York City Taxicabs og:description: TIME looks back at the history of the city's iconic yellow cab og:url: https://time.com/4018590/brief-history-nyc-cabs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc652c883e8d99fd0/698861cc5f570f22e4b1d31c/yellow_cabs_01.jpg?branch=production&width=611&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 611 og:image:height: 344 og:image:alt: New York Yellow Taxi og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Brief History of New York City Taxicabs twitter:description: TIME looks back at the history of the city's iconic yellow cab twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc652c883e8d99fd0/698861cc5f570f22e4b1d31c/yellow_cabs_01.jpg?branch=production&width=611&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Brief History of New York City Taxicabs > Sponsored content. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=8cd888ce-3026-4e3c-822f-07613abc8692&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=8cd888ce-3026-4e3c-822f-07613abc8692&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Sep 2, 2015 5:29 PM UTC  An early electric hansom taxicab on a New York City street, circa 1900\. The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, the first taxicab company in New York City, began operating 12 electric hansom cabs in July 1897—a time when city traffic was overwhelmingly of the horse-drawn variety. An early electric hansom taxicab on a New York City street, circa 1900\. The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, the first taxicab company in New York City, began operating 12 electric hansom cabs in July 1897—a time when city traffic was overwhelmingly of the horse-drawn variety. Nathan Lazarnick—George Eastman House/Getty Images by [TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Sep 2, 2015 5:29 PM UTC  An early electric hansom taxicab on a New York City street, circa 1900\. The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, the first taxicab company in New York City, began operating 12 electric hansom cabs in July 1897—a time when city traffic was overwhelmingly of the horse-drawn variety. Nathan Lazarnick—George Eastman House/Getty Images  By the 1920s, as demand for autos boomed, industrialists had recognized the potential of the taxi market. Automobile manufacturers like General Motors and the Ford Motor Company began operating fleets of cabs. Here, a New York City yellow cab in 1929. Museum of Modern Art/AP  Nicknamed the "Sunshine" cab, taxis with a European-style sun roof were put into service in New York, June 19, 1936\. The new fleet was the largest single order for new taxicabs in history. J. Stirling Getchell—AP  The new model taxicab from Chevrolet is shown in New York City, May 17, 1950. Carl Nesensohn—AP  Taxis drive through the streets of Manhattan near 5th Avenue in New York City, 1972\. The vehicles' signature yellow livery didn't become law until 1967, when the city ordered that all licensed "medallion taxis" be painted the same color, in order to cut down on unofficial drivers and make the cabs more recognizable Everett Collection  The Checker Cab, used between 1956 and 1982, became one of the most recognizable symbols of mid-20th century urban life. Manufactured by the Checkered Cab Company, the iconic black-and-yellow taxi was advertised as a roomy and rugged alternative to the standard American passenger sedan. Wikimedia Commons  A gas-electric hybrid taxi drives on a street on March 1, 2011 in New York City. In May 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a five-year plan to switch New York City's taxicabs to more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. However, the plan was dropped after operators complained that the cost of maintaining the new cars outweighed the fuel savings. Today, New York City has around 4,300 hybrid taxis, representing almost 33 percent of the 13,237 taxis in service—the most in any city in North America. Chris Hondros—Getty Images  A Nissan NV200 is unveiled in New York City on April 2, 2012\. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the vehicle would serve as the city's exclusive taxicab for the next decade. The iconic New York City taxi has gotten a 21st-Century makeover, with low-annoyance horns, USB chargers for passengers and germ-fighting seats to cut down on bad odors. Taxi operators will be required to buy the Nissan NV 200 at a cost of about $29,000 starting in late 2013. 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